"WHY HAVEN'T WE HEARD ABOUT THIS BEFORE?"

In Eating Animals, Jonathan Safran Foer notes that “upwards of 99 percent of all animals eaten in this country come from ‘factory farms’” (12). And yet the vast majority of consumers are unaware of what this means in terms of the stories behind factory farming: the life and death that a factory- farmed animal experiences, the working conditions of factory farm laborers, the health effects of eating animals and their byproducts, and the overall impact of factory farming on the environment.

As one of you said in class after learning that animal agriculture accounts for 51% of the global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming, “Why haven’t we heard about this before?” This is a great question that has no one simple answer, but it’s worth exploring. Indeed, why are so many people uninformed about factory farming?

Nick Cooney

During the reading of the year I have come to some thought that I know what is going on with farm animals. I knew they were getting abused and to me I truly felt bad for them. Yet it did not really give me a huge push to stop eating animals. This to me was survival of the fittest, and we as humans are more fit. Is this ethical and moral, MANY would disagree. The biggest thing that struck me about his presentation was the fact that in our farming and need for meat we are killing ourselves through the environment. This I cannot stand for. The focus has always been on gas and sucking the planet dry but our farming of animals is now the number 1 contributor to our global warming problem. On top of this the feed that is used to raise live stock could feed over 100 million people. This silent companies has been running things in the shadows anyway they feel like it and because of so their greed and the out demand for meat they are killing use. Another problem is find is the constant abuse we put on these animals is not necessary. if we were to have less live stock and treat them a little more humanly the millions of animals that die before slaughter can be avoided and pollutants will go down by a little.

Nick Cooney

Nick Cooney’s presentation was very informative to me discussing many things I was not aware of before this class. The most shocking was that of the environmental issues. I was not aware that industrialized farming created so many issues from global warming to dead zone spots. I really feel outraged that the government hasn’t put stronger regulations on these industries if they are harming animals so much as well as us being the number one cause of environmental damage.

Nick Cooney

Nick Cooney's presentation was very informative and eye-opening. He spoke a lot about the environmental repercussions from all of the global factory farming which was information that was very new to me. There were a lot of statistics that were shocking. The number one reason for water pollution in the US is animal waste run-off. The animal industry is responsible for 51% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Another interesting point that Cooney made was that to produce one hamburger it took the equivalent of six months worth of showers.

Nick Cooney

This presentation on factory farming provided me with a totally new outlook on the way Americans interact with animals. Prior to the this, I was knew that factory farming was not a good thing, but I had no details on how or why. Nick Cooney not only told us, but showed us. Seeing the young cows suffer in the gestation crates, or the chickens packed so close together their feathers fell off really shocked me. Seeing this helped me understand the ruthlessness of major corporations. Another really interesting fact was how much factory farming contributes to global warming. I have never even heard of this in my life and think its really important that he's informing young students of this. 51% of green house gasses are from factory farms, this will defiantly impact my future food choices. But the most important thing I think he said was everyone can vote with their fork. And thats so true. This is entire slaughter fest is all fueled by the money in our pockets. We don't need the government to change, we need our diets to change. This made me feel really empowered and I will defiantly avoid factory farm products in the future.

Nick Cooney's Presentation

I thought Mr. Cooney's presentation to be very informative. It really had all the things you needed to understand and know about Factory Farming without any of the gruesome videos or pictures that usually get shown at these types of presentations. When he mentioned Global Warming as a byproduct, it didn't come as a surprise to me... since industrial sized factories use a lot of fossil fuels. But when he broke out the numbers and statistics, my mind was blown. We spend so much time trying to lower automobile emission, when it's nothing compared to the amount that the food industry makes. This was astounding to hear and I couldn't help but wonder (probably like everyone else in the class). Why didn't I know about this? Nick Cooney's did a great job answering everyone's questions as best as he could and the pictures and comparison graphs really put things into perspective.

Nick Cooney

As offputting as some of the information being presented was, Nick Cooney offered many eye-opening facts that put a new perspective on the farming business for me. Not only are we raising millions of animals a year for the sole purpose of eventually slaughtering them, but the massive amounts of waste products that come from this are having a huge impact of global warming. So Cooney's presentation definitely made me re-evaluate how I view the food I eat on a regular basis.

Joseph Chism

Nick Cooney

I found Mr. Cooney's information on the environmental impact of factory farming to be startling at the very least. I have been very passionate about the climate change crisis for several years now. I pride myself on staying well-informed on the topic and I was shocked to hear about the greenhouse gases produced from "agricultural waste". How could 51% of the earth's greenhouse gases come from such a concealed source? My focus has always been on reforming America's transportation systems because it is absolutely unnecessary for every American to own an automobile. Now, my attention has shifted to the unnecessary factory farming. John Comiskey

Nick Cooney

I found the most eye opening aspect of Nick Cooney's presentation was watching the brutality that the workers used when handling the animals. The way they carelessly tossed chicks into the sorting machine like they were golf balls seemed barbaric. Not to mention the ways some animals are so malnutritioned that they cannot even walk. I also could not believe how the cows and chickens were handled when being brought out to slaughter. They were literally tossed onto the truck beds like sacks of manure (I believe that is what they are to farming factory CEOs). Factory farms seem like legalized animal brutality simply because they have money and are not torturing them for torture's sake.

Nick Cooney Presentation

I felt that Nick's presentation was one of the most eye opening and influential experiences of the class thus far. Reading about and discussing these animal ethics concepts has been very powerful, however, not to the same extent as watching footage of what is actually happening. I feel as though reading about something is very informative and one can start to get a sense about an issue. Yet, if you have not actually seen the things you are reading about happen in real life then it is nearly impossible to visualize the issue in its true form. Watching the injustices being done to animals actually happen, through the videos he showed, made the issue much more real and personal.

Nick Cooney

The presentation was very compelling. I never realized how Factory Farms affect the environment. People always provide the facts about cruelties that are associated with the process but no one has ever explained to me what happens with the waste. It makes me feel very upset that the Animals have to remain in their urine and feces all of their life. Then on top of that the Earth becomes polluted which the water. It angers me that people are out genuinely concerened with profit and not the well being and preservation of our Environment.

Nick Cooney's factory farming presentation

I found Nick Cooney’s in class presentation on factory framing practices extremely informative. Going into his presentation I felt that he was going to reinforce the same information we have previously covered in the reading this semester. Also, before taking this course I had seen the film Food, INC. that explains some practices of factory farming. The part of the presentation that absolutely shocked me was the devastating effects factory farming has on the environment. I had no idea that more green house gases are released from factory farming then from cars. This fact angered me. Why is this type of information not on the news, in newspapers and on billboards? Is money really that important that the government can over look the best interest of the entire planet and future generations that will inhabit our planet? Apparently it is. It would me wrong of me to just blame the government for what factory farming is doing to the planet. In general Americans love to eat—especially meat—including myself in this statement. I also find it highly improbable that the entire world or even our country would become vegan or vegetarian. So what can be done? I feel the American government should make all its citizens aware of the effects that factory farming is having on our planet. Then let the people choose to cut back on the amount of animals they are eating or not.

Nick Cooney's Presentation

Overall, Nick Cooney's Presentation was very interesting and informative about factory farming especially the section about the sows and the gestation crates. The gestation crates are small cages where the sows are kept during pregnancy. The sows live most of their lives being pregnant which weakens their body. To add to the pain, the sows are not mobile therefore their legs and joints get injured and standing on hard concrete damages their feet. Many of them die in gestation crates because of stress and pain they endure on a daily basis. These pigs are not treated humanely and they have many complications. They get no rest between pregnancies and are not able to see their piglets. Gestation crates is the definition of cruelty and they should to be banned everywhere.

Nick Cooney Presentation

Nick Cooney's presentation was extremely eye opening for me. The thing that really impacted me the most was the effects that factory farming had on the environment. I never realized that had any effect at all on the environment let alone it being the majority of the cause. There were some great points made about being coming a vegetarian/vegan and how much it would help the environment if only you were a veg for your life. It really stuck with me everything that Nick said and now more that ever I try to eat the least amount of meat as possible.

Nick Cooney's presentation

Nick Cooney’s presentation on Factory Farming was very interesting. One aspect of the presentation I found the most interesting was the impact on the environment. I knew that factory farming was the cause of a big portion of the global warming issue, but I didn’t know that it was the biggest factor. Factory farm animals produce 170 times more waste than humans do. Some of it is used for fertilizer but most of it leaks into water or is absorbed into the atmosphere. Knowing that the massive amount of waste the factory farm animals produce is ruining our planet, makes me want to change the way I eat. I don’t think I can completely stop eating meat and meat products but I can definitely cut down on my meat intake.

presentation

I thought it was extremely interesting when Nick Cooney was comparing how many showers we take to how much water goes into making hamburgers and how this problem is the number two cause of global warming. I think that the statistics Nick used in his presentation to show us how each one of us can help these animals was extremely important. It was a very good eye opener. Without this presentation I would have no idea that this problem was such a big issue. I also didn't know what most farms looked like now until he showed us those pictures. I still had a story book picture of a farm in my head. It was extremely disturbing and it is something that I can raise awareness about throughout my friends now that I know more about it.

Nick Cooney's Presentation

During Nick Cooney's presentation on factory farms in class Monday, the main thing that really stuck in my mind were the negative effects on the environment caused by factory farms. What really stuck was the amount of feces produced from the animals on factory farms compared to that of humans. I believe it was something like 700 something times more. A lot of the feces from the animals is either seeped into the ground or evaporated into the air. The feces that seeps into ground may reach a water source such as a river or creek and contaminate it. When it reaches a delta such as that from the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico, some parts become so-called "dead zones" where all the contamination ends up and basically sucks all the oxygen out of the water suffocating all of the fish causing them to float to the surface. It is quite a horrible scene.

Nick Cooney's Presentation

Nick Cooney did a fantastic job displaying various facts about animal treatment in our society today. What was really interesting to find out is that the U.S., a rather modern nation, is so behind the European states with the moralities of animal treatment. He stated that in "1990s European Union banned battery cages, veal crates, and gestation crates," whereas the United States even in the year 2011 allows for these materials to be used in most states when dealing with animals. Another reason I found his presentation and argument fascinating is his use of factors other than ethical beliefs to influence his audience to make a change. He included information about the feces of animals and how it is hazardous to our atmosphere in large quantities even adding that the unnatural reproduction of animals has caused them to produce "170 times more feces than people." He also added that feces is the "#1 cause of water pollution in the United States," and that it has caused numerous Dead Zones around the world, information to which I was completely ignorant prior to his presentation. It was extremely interesting to watch him connect global warming to what one chooses to consume. By doing that, he in a way suggested that even if some people are not on the same page with animal rights activists in terms of feeling bad for the animals and caring for their experiences as live beings, they may now consider animals simply because they care about their own experience as a live beings.

Nick Cooney's Presentation

Nick Cooney gave a very interesting presentation about factory farming to our class this past Monday, April 11th. I found a lot of the information very interesting and eye opening. To me, the most interesting topic was that regarding the laws surrounding factory farming. The so called "laws" are practically non-existent. We learned that PA use to have a general law protecting all animals, but in the late 1900's the laws were changed. Currently, there are practically no laws or guidelines that factory farms must abide by. One of the most shocking comparisons was made to other developed nations. I discovered that many of the gruesome practices used in the United States are outlawed in a lot of other developed nations. Why are the United States lacking in protecting animal welfare? We started to discuss how owners of factory farms have influence in the legislature and media. As soon as we started diving into these topics, corruption immediately came to my mind. Is our government corrupt if they are hiding such a key topic from the American people? I feel like I have been lied to by my own country. I put some of my trust in the legislatures to create and enforce laws that would protect the citizens of this country. Shouldn't the animals be guaranteed some protection? I am not suggesting that they be considered equally as humans, but should they at least deserve the 8th amendment right that humans have, no cruel and unusual punishment? Why are animals being cruel and unusually punished for no reason at all? Throughout the presentation I found myself going through a mixture of emotions. The main emotions I felt were anger, sadness, and guilt. I was and am extremely angered that this topic has managed to escape the minds of Americans. I am angry with legislatures for allowing factory farming. I am sad for the animals that are subject to factory farming. I am sad that they have to be put through that type of "lifestyle" for no reason whatsoever. Finally, I feel guilty. Guilty that I did not learn of this issue sooner. Guilty that I ate the meat that comes from those factory farms. I use to eat whatever meat was placed in front of me without questioning it. I did not make the connection between the steak on my plate and the cow suffering in the factory farm. Now, I find myself disgusted at the site of meat. I think that Nick Cooney's presentation was a big eye opener, especially when it comes to legislators responsibility, or lack there of.

Factory Farming - Nick Cooney

One thing I found crazy about his presentation was the gestation crates that they keep the female piggies in. I understand piglet production is in high demand but to deprive them of ANY exercise/movement is insane. at the least they should be able to get more exercise because it's healthier for a pregnant mother to get to move around. Also, the fact that there is little to no break for them between pregnancy, birth, and pregnancy again has to really drain their bodies. I had a barn cat that had just 2 litters of kittens consecutively and you could see it was taking its toll on her body; her coat lost its luster and she got skinny and looked mangy for lack of better words. We got her fixed and within a few weeks, she filled out to a healthy weight and her fur was shiny and thick again. This is from 2 pregnancy cycles in a row, so I can only imagine the effect that multiple pregnancy cycles over and over until the sows stop producing has on them.

Nick Cooney Presentation

While listening to Nick Cooney during his presentation, I noticed much of the same information we have been covering. I enjoyed this because it helped clarify certain aspects of factory farming slightly more precisely for others and myself. The most interesting facts and information that Cooney covered, however, was that of the effects factory farming has on our environment. I had no idea of the effect that this type of farming has on our world. Like factory farming in general, global warming and our environment are also important issues that many turn a blind eye to. I believe it is extremely important to get this information out to more of the population.

Nick Cooney and Factory Farming

In my opinion, the most interesting aspect of Nick Cooney's presentation was the information regarding government regulation in respects to factory farming. I was amazed to learn that these enormous factory farms are not held accountable for the damage they do to the environment. That means a factory farm may dispose of animal waste and other harmful byproducts with no regard as to how it may effect the environment. Ironically, animals cause over 50% of greenhouse gases and animal waste is the number 1 cause of water pollution, as well as the number 2 cause of air pollution. It is shocking to learn how much power these farming companies have, even the automotive industry must report to the government and regulate the amount of harmful chemicals they and their products emit.

Nick Cooney - Factory Farming

For the most part, Nick Cooney's presentation on factory farming provided me with a lot of new information that I'd ever never heard, or taken into account before. For me, I enjoyed hearing about the advancements being made, and the progress of the struggle for rights of non-human animals, especially for animals in the factory farming industry. He presented facts about the rise of veganism and vegetarianism, as well as information about countries and states that have eliminated cruel factory farming procedures, such as battery cages and gestation crates. Sometimes the topics surrounding factory farming can become a little redundant and depressing; it was refreshing to hear good news for once. Though the fight is far from over, it’s slightly comforting to know that the cruelty surrounding factory farming is being noticed. Hopefully with just a few states outlawing cruel factory farm animal practices, we can hope to see other states and nations follow suit in the near future.

Vegetarianism

I thought Nick Cooney's presentation was most interesting when he discussed the laws in various states that outlaw different forms of cruelty. I found it interesting which states outlawed certain practices, and was suprised by the fact that not more states outlawed them. I wonder why these particular states had more people who were educated on the specifics of animal cruelty, and why more states are not more educated. I also wonder now why these laws haven't been put into national affect. Is it only uneducated people that are keeping them from passing or are there a lot of companies in other states that use these practices and thus prevent lawmakers from passing these policies? I'm curious to know if the states which passed laws like this have less meat companies and if there are more vegetarians that reside in them.

TWB#4 Nick Cooney's Presentation

After watching and listening to Nick Cooney's presentation I realized that I know very little about factory farming and its horrors. One very scary and interesting thing that I learned from the presentation was about gestational crates. These are tiny crates that pregnant pigs are forced to stay in throughout the duration of their pregnancy. I found this to be very sad and mean towards pigs. In many other countries they are outlawed. The enivornment was mentioned in the presentation and this was not only interesting but mind blowing. i couldnt believe that factory farming was harming our earth so much. Also Nick Cooney gave outstanding averages for the amount of animals that are held on most factory farms in America. He said that some factory farms have up to five hundred thousand chickens in one chicken house. This means that they are all cramped up together and very uncomfortable. The presentation was highly informative but at the same time I felt a bit sad because of the treatment given to these poor farm animals. I hope that things some day change.

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ETHICS

Launch of ground-breaking Journal of Animal Ethics A ground-breaking new journal covering the issue of animal ethics has been launched by a US and UK academic partnership with the goal of widening international debate about the moral status of animals. This month, the University of Illinois Press will publish the pioneering new Journal of Animal Ethics (JAE), the result of years of collaboration between the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics and the University Press. The Journal of Animal Ethics, which is to be published bi-annually in the summer and winter, is jointly edited by the internationally known theologian the Reverend Professor Andrew Linzey, Director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, and Professor Priscilla Cohn, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Penn State University and Associate Director of the Centre. The JAE is the first academic journal in the world to include the phrase “animal ethics” in its title. “For far too long, academics have been slow to contribute to the burgeoning public debate about animal ethics. This is an opportunity for them to make their contribution to a multidisciplinary journal that aims to put animal ethics on the academic map” said Professor Andrew Linzey. “We want to ensure that animals receive the academic attention they deserve.” The Journal comprises: full-length scholarly articles, “argument” pieces in which authors will advance a particular perspective (usually related to current affairs) or respond to a previous article, review or research report, as well as review articles and book reviews. The JAE is devoted to the exploration of progressive thought about animals and is multidisciplinary in nature and international in scope. It covers theoretical and applied aspects of animal ethics that will be of interest to academics from both the humanities and the sciences, as well as professionals working in the field of animal protection. It aims to publish ground-breaking work written by new and established academics from a wide range of disciplines including anthropology, ethics, history, law, literature, linguistics, political theory, religion and science. In the first issue of the JAE: David M. Lavigne and William S. Lynn address Canada’s commercial seal hunt; Joel Marks writes on how animal suffering is unrecognized in research; Andrew Fenton and Frederic Gilbert question the use of animals in spinal cord research; Judith Benz-Schwarzburg and Andrew Knight examine the cognitive abilities of animals and asks how long they can be denied similar rights to humans; Grace Clement asks whether animals can be classed as “pets or meat”? Barbro Froding, Martin Peterson, and Mark J. Rowlands debate whether animal ethics should be based on friendship, and Jan Deckers and Jay B. McDaniel debate whether Whiteheadians should be vegetarians. To subscribe to the journal, please visit the journal’s website at http://www.press.uillinois.edu/journals/jane.html.